


other worldly

by collieander



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Pining, Post-Season/Series 07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 22:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15672216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collieander/pseuds/collieander
Summary: Rizavi would call him revolting, but James is young and stupidly in love so he figures he gets a free pass.





	other worldly

 

Over the last four years of working with Sam Holt and the other MFE fighters, James has heard a lot about the Paladins of Voltron. He's heard about their exploits, their accomplishments, their origins, and to James it has always felt like a fantastical tale beyond the realm of reality. He can buy into the possibility of life beyond Earth, into an authoritarian dictatorship that has conquered all civilisation in the known universe, into highly advanced alien technology and the possibility of sentient planets, but Voltron?

 

To James, Voltron has always seemed like a strange fever dream created by someone who hallucinated a stray cat merging with the neighbour's car while high as a kite. Lions, and robots? Lions, _as_ robots? _Robot_ lions? _Magic_ robot lions? James knows he's kind of an idiot - Rizavi has made this abundantly clear -  but even he's not completely sold on the notion of a giant superweapon formed out of five smaller cat robots made from an interdimensional space rock by an extinct alien civilisation. It's a novel idea to be sure, but the so-called "paladins" of Voltron are even more so.

 

James remembers when the notice came in about the three cadets who broke into a quarantined facility and escaped with the help of Keith Kogane, who had apparently been lurking around in the desert for an entire year. James knows that he was a bit of a dick when he was a kid, especially to Keith with all the shitty things he said about the other boy's parents, but James can't help but think that breaking into a military facility is a few levels above punching Iverson in the face.

 

(He won't say it out loud, but James is glad that of all the times Keith could have snapped and punched him, it was when they were teenagers and not young adults. No offense to Iverson, but James likes having two working eyes thank you very much.)

 

The Paladins of Voltron are at once far too real to be fighting an intergalactic space war, and also far too outlandish to be even remotely possible. The image of a scrawny Keith who scowled like the sun personally offended him being one of such paladins is an even stranger thought that just thinking about it makes James want to take a nap.

 

Suffice to say, James has heard at once way too much about his former classmates than he ever would have imagined and not nearly enough to gain any sort of beneficial insight.

 

He's heard of their bravery, their valour, their tenacity, but as he stares down the famed Paladins of Voltron for the very first time, James realises that the one thing no one thought to mention was how fucking stupid they were.

 

The bright whites and bold colours of their armour are clearly meant to attract attention - probably trying to push that whole 'Legendary Warriors' schtick they have going on - but against the drab greys and broken debris of the town, it's almost like they want to be caught by Sendak.

 

At least they had the sense not to ride in on giant cat spaceships, James thinks as he grips the steering wheel, but at this point, he'll take anything.

 

Seeing Holt and McClain reunite with their families hammers it home that they really were just kids when this whole mess began, and as James studies their faces one by one, he can't help but think that some of them still look like kids. McClain and Garett have clearly aged, but not nearly enough considering they should be the same age as James right now. Holt has grown but is still very obviously a teenager, looking especially small wrapped around her mother. Shirogane, on the other hand, looks older and wearier than James could have ever imagined, and with his missing right arm, silver hair and scarred face, he looks like he could give Iverson a run for his money in the "Perpetually-Suffering" category at the World's Fair of "What-the-Fuck."

  
They look different, in the way that strangers do when you didn’t even know them before they changed, but Keith? It's Keith that takes James' breath away.

 

He's an adult now, something James thought he had come to terms with, but given the amount of time James has spent staring at the other man, that is clearly not the case. His hair is still as long as ever, brushing past the collar of his suit and curling gently around his face in a way that made teen-James scowl and adult-James scowl for entirely different reasons. His shoulders are noticeably broader than any of the other paladins, save for Shirogane, and his impossibly narrow waist makes for a striking figure even without the aid of the bright reds. Keith has always been a fighter in how he approached the world, but seeing him now as an adult, he looks ready to take on the entire universe.

 

As Keith turns to James - god, he has to stop staring this is reaching peak levels of shit you probably shouldn't do - he rises from his position and pretends he wasn’t just checking out his former classmate. Taking off his helmet, James sees the recognition dawn in Keith's eyes, and he preens a little on the inside knowing that Keith "can't-remember-faces-for-shit" Kogane remembers him, even if they didn't leave on the best terms. He holds eye contact for a little longer than necessary before striding back into the base with Keith's eyes on his back.

 

James feels himself begin to sweat and acts as if his world wasn't turned upside down.

 

(It doesn't work.)

 

* * *

 

"You know, there's something that we call people who are in your type of situation," Rizavi says, waving her spoon at him.

 

James hums around his fork as he stares mournfully at his rehydrated macaroni. Sendak has been defeated for four months now, but fresh produce is slow growing and the Garrison has decided to keep using dehydrated meals until the enslaved civilians get some fresh food into them. It's a good idea, and James fully supports it, but it doesn't change the fact that his macaroni is drier than Kinkade's sense of humour.

 

"And that is," Rizavi continues, "a thirsty ass bitch."

 

James chokes on his newest forkful of macaroni, the dry pasta grating down his throat and his eyes welling up with tears. He gives a few hacking coughs and ignores Rizavi's loud peals of laughter as he tries to gain his breath back. A pleading glance at Leifsdottir bears no results, and he's systematically ignored as if his dumb ass isn't worth saving from badly rehydrated food. Kinkade takes pity on James and it only takes a few solid slaps on the back before the macaroni in his throat re-joins the rest of the world with a pathetic little 'splat.'

 

Kinkade is his new best friend, James thinks to himself spitefully. The rest of them can get stepped on by Voltron.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," James wheezes, and Rizavi takes a break from her imitation of the devil itself to give him the most pitying look this side of the cosmos.

 

"Right, as if you weren't staring at Kogane for the entire duration of this morning's briefing," she says, shaking her head like James' very existence has insulted her abilities.

  
James looks to Leifsdottir for help and only receives an impassive stare full of judgment that James didn't know she possessed. He turns to Kinkade for salvation and the other man looks to the side.

 

Screw getting stepped on by Voltron, they could get crushed by the ATLAS and James would feel absolutely nothing.

 

"The wolf! I was staring at the wolf," James hisses. He doesn't need a mirror to know that his face is red, and considering the vaguely concerned looks the other officers are giving him, he knows that it's a pretty spectacular shade.

 

"The wolf could not be seen from its position under the table," Leifsdottir points out unhelpfully, and Rizavi gives him a grin that could make babies cry.

 

James splutters and feels his face getting warmer by the second. Keith had been a sight to watch during briefing, full of subtle movements and a hard gaze. James remembers being entranced by the way the Black Paladin's collarbones jutted out when he crossed his arms and the determined glint in his eyes when discussing repairs. He had wanted to do more, help more people, give more to Earth when the Earth had been nothing but unkind to him, and James had been utterly taken by Keith.

 

A single look at his squad's faces tells him all he needs to know about the expression he's making, and James has never felt so judged in his entire life.

 

"Disgusting," Rizavi says pityingly.

 

Leifsdottir tsks, ashamed that he even tried, and Kinkade raises both of his eyebrows at him.

 

"You are pining," he says.

 

James begins to bristle before dropping his shoulders and sighing in defeat. He looks down at his abandoned plate and feels a strange kinship with the sad lump of macaroni that he spit out.

 

"Yeah," James admits, "I am."

 

* * *

 

 

The problem is that, for all the prolonged stares and frequent glances that they share, James and Keith don't actually interact all that much following Sendak's defeat. The first two months were obvious, considering Keith was in a coma for half of that time and recovering for the other half. That's not to say he didn't try, because he did. Once. That was before he saw an older Galra woman who bore a striking resemblance to Keith exit his hospital room, and James had aborted that attempt quicker than Leifsdottir could formulate a battle strategy.

  
James would never admit it, but he had never felt more intimidated in his entire life.

 

Either way, the following two months were equally disappointing. The MFEs were hardly useful in rebuilding, so the squadron was confined to groundwork, helping ferry supplies and the occasional representative to other parts of the world for diplomatic talks. The lions themselves were too useful in both their carrying capacity and the sheer amount of weight they held as a symbol of peace. The Paladins of Voltron were constantly in motion, helping move debris, deliver much needed supplies with the incredible mobility that they offered and participating in talks with representatives from the Voltron Coalition and other alien civilisations.

 

Keith is beyond James' realm of reality, so it comes as a surprise when the two of them collide on the way to the hanger.

 

James hisses and rubs his forehead, staring mournfully at the helmet that's tucked under his left arm. After four years of training to be at the frontlines of an alien invasion, his helmet has never failed to save his thick head from being done in, except for today. A look upwards is all needs to know that not even his trusty helmet can save James from the gale force wind that is the man in front of him.

 

Keith is standing there dressed in his Paladin armour, red and white helmet tucked under his arm and eyes shining brighter than the stars. He too is rubbing at his forehead, and James finds the bewildered expression on the other man's face far too endearing for his own good.

 

He likes to think he's matured these past five years, but there's something about Keith that makes James feel like he's a teenager again.

 

"Hey," Keith begins, and James snaps out of his trance. The other man looks unsure, and James feels himself relax a bit knowing that he's not the only complete mess in this conversation.

 

"I never got to say it, but, not bad Griffin," Keith says and knocks the back of his free hand gently on James' breastplate.

 

James feels his breath leave his lungs despite the gentle tap and is momentarily stunned by the small gesture. Keith is clearly uncertain of where they stand considering their history, and his awkward attempt at making conversation is so unlike yet undeniably Keith that James can practically feel his soul escaping his body.

 

God, he is utterly gone.

 

"Heh," James grins, unable to stop the warmth from blooming in his chest. "I could say the same to you Kogane."

 

A small grin appears on Keith's face at the response and James revels in it. He wants to drag Keith in front of the top brass and brag that he made that happen.

 

Rizavi would call him revolting, but James is young and stupidly in love so he figures he gets a free pass.

 

"Are you going out for a ride too?" Keith asks, head nodding towards James' helmet.

 

"Yeah," James shrugs, letting them walk into the hanger and slowly drift towards their flight crafts. "The repairs don't really call for an aircraft like the MFEs, so they've been sitting in the hanger for a while. Figured I could take her out for a spin while we're on break."

 

He gives his MFE a pat from where they've stopped next to her, and it's almost embarrassing how attached he is to her. The craft has been his lifeblood for the past four years, and even if she's not sentient like the Voltron lions are, she's his pride and joy.

 

Keith smiles at James and turns to look at the Black Lion sitting passively behind them, as regal and stunning as her pilot.

 

"Black hasn't had a chance to fly properly either - diplomats don't really take well to going at the speeds she's used to," Keith says with a wry smile.

 

James takes in the sight of Keith with the Black Lion behind him, a hulking figure casting an imposing shadow, and an idea forms in his mind.  
  
"She's a beauty, but as large as she is she's probably not as mobile as the MFEs right?" James grins and almost laughs as Keith's head whips around. From the look on Keith's face, James might as well have committed blasphemy (though considering the importance of Voltron, that probably wasn't too far from the truth).

 

Keith's eyes narrow and James' grin widens when the other man takes the bait.

 

"You think you can measure up to Black, Griffin?" Keith scoffs, a smile coming to his face unbidden.

 

James tilts his head up in a challenge and feels his spine straighten when Keith responds in kind.

  
  
"You're on Kogane." James smirks.

 

Piloting his MFE alongside Black when he delivered Keith to the Galra bases had been a humbling experience, but racing against Black with Keith in the cockpit?

 

James has never felt so incredibly alive.

 

* * *

 

Being friends with Keith is startlingly easy. So much so that he spends an entire morning wondering what he did right in his past life before realising he's late for morning briefing.

 

(Iverson wasn't impressed, and James can't fault him for that, especially since he almost trips on his face when Keith greets him with a small smile from across the conference table.)

 

Their past tension is still there, but a much milder version in the form of friendly competition and good natured ribbing. James is still envious of Keith's skill as a pilot, but what once would have manifested into aggression has changed into grudging respect and admiration. Keith still has very little respect for authority, a sentiment James can never quite get on board with, but considering he's the leader of Voltron, James can understand that notion of anyone being a commanding officer to him is a novel one.

 

They race and banter, doing tricks that James would never have done while training to fight the Galra and feeling lighter than the air they speed through. He weaves in and out of Black's paws and in response Keith playfully snaps at the air behind James' MFE, the two aircrafts dancing around each other in a synchronised blur.

 

It's invigorating and James never wants it to end.

 

Keith never brings up the dig James made at his parents, but it taunts him endlessly. He feels like he's flying higher and higher with every passing day, but James knows that he'll eventually reach his peak. It's a sensation that he's used to - the feeling of uncertainty, the floor dropping beneath his feet, as if his heart is about to escape his body and the sky itself begins to fall around him - and he dreads the day it comes.

 

The day is warm when James decides to confront Keith, and the two of them are resting after another one of their casual flights. They've stripped down to their undersuits to dry out, and the air around them is languid and familiar in a way that James would have never imagined when he first saw Keith in the rubble.

 

"Hey," he starts and watches as Keith's eyelashes flutter briefly from where they're resting. The Paladin's head is tipped back as he soaks in the sun, emulating his lion perfectly down to the lean lines of his body and the smooth movements of his limbs.

 

Keith hums in response and James looks forward to where Black is resting. The lion is as awe-inspiring as ever, and the sight of her gives James the courage he needs.

 

"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. About what I said when we were cadets." James says, the words coming out in a shaking breath. He can see Keith open his eyes and slowly sit up, but James refuses to move his eyes from the impassive yellow gaze of Black.

 

"James…" Keith says, but James can't lose this now. He has too much to say and too much riding on this one moment.

 

"I was a dick when I was a kid," he interrupts, eyes tracing the lines of Black's face. "I was jealous, prideful - I wanted to be the only one from our school to enter the Garrison."

 

He barks out a short laugh. "It was a stupid, petty thing to think, but I was so fixated on that idea I took it out on you."

 

 A rueful smile comes to his lips and James clenches his fists in his lap. "You were incredible. Even as a kid, when you clearly didn't care for anyone or anything, everyone took notice of you."

 

"James-" Keith begins but startles when James' head whips around to finally face him, gripping the Paladin's left hand in his shaking right.

  
"Any parent would be lucky to have a son like you," James says, and Keith's eyes grow wide.

 

"You were extraordinary," James breathes, "and now you're other-worldly."

 

Keith gives a rattling exhale and pulls James forward until their lips meet, desperate and tender in ways that have James' head spinning. He pulls Keith close and he knows that this is the peak - the weightlessness, the floor dropping beneath his feet, his heart in his throat and the sky falling around him, but instead of revealing the cold hard ground there is only Keith, Keith, Keith.

 

James sighs in between their lips and he loses himself in Keith's brilliance.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i've seen angsty james, bitter james, and soft james, but i raise to you: disaster gay james
> 
> also this is the first fic i've ever written and posted so please be gentle with me
> 
> completely unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine
> 
> [come scream with me on tumblr](%E2%80%9Dollypuro.tumblr.com%E2%80%9D)


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